Channeling ‘Bohemian wanderlust’ and other home design insights
Marisa Marcantonio, who runs the interior design blog Style Beat, is the keynote speaker at the 2015 Boston Design Market.
For Marisa Marcantonio, the most important trend in interior design is the one that celebrates a full life.
“Lives with greater meaning and experiences are tending to trump other things that may have been more important in the past,’’ Marcantonio said. “Experiences resonate on a deeper level.’’
Marcantonio runs the interior design blog Stylebeat, where she has been discussing home décor, new products, and trends for the past eight years.
On Wednesday, October 7, she will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 Boston Design Market at the Boston Design Center in the Seaport, where she will discuss emerging design trends and how to make your home more personal.
We caught up with Marcantonio before her talk to see what she trends she thinks people should know about has we head into the fall and the new year.
Statement making art
A big piece of art can make a huge difference in a room. “One giant piece hanging over sofa can really make an impact,’’ Marcantonio said.
She also mentioned that a way to add character and soul to a room can be something as simple as coffee table books.
“[The books could be] important reads, travel, topics that excite you,’’ she said. “When other people see what you are interested in, that starts conversation, as they might have a shared experience.’’
Tried and true traditional
“You can’t go wrong with classic design,’’ Marcantonio said, adding that some of her favorite elements include oversized florals and antiquities. “The difference is there is a fresh appeal to the way traditional is being done now. A lot of designers are paying homage to the designers of the past.’’
One ways people are using traditional elements is to combine them with modern design elements (kind of like what antique and salvage shop Restoration Resources is seeing customers do).
But not everything from the past works today.
“When looking at traditional there are markers of things looking outdated,’’ Marcantonio said. “The three things that show time are: window treatments (like a balloon shade), the way upholstery is finished, and trim on pillows.’’
Warm modern
This trend features pale neutrals, like blues and greens, as a color pallete, without including patterns. It has neo-Scandinavian influences with its pale wood. Some examples would be a “sheep skin casually thrown over a chair’’ or like the iconic 1959 Danish design from Borge Mogensen, “The Spanish chair.’’
Bohemian wanderlust
This style features “a lot of pattern and worldly influences.’’ For example, Marcantonio said this style might look at what is coming out of Morocco or what’s happening in Istanbul’s textile markets.
“[This style uses] intricate decorative techniques with worldly inspiration to deliver a look of intrigue,’’ she said.
A final thought
“The ultimate goal in taking on designing any room is to create a comfortable [space] with a bit of the unexpected. It should be a place you go to relax and enjoy what you chose to surround yourself with,’’ Marcantonio concluded.
Not at this stage in your life yet? Here’s how to make your first apartment look like an adult’s, according to Newton-based interior designer Heather Vaughan:
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